# William Shee

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{{short description|Anglo-Irish politician, lawyer, and judge (1804–1868)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2017}}
thumbnail|William Shee

'''Sir William Shee''' (24 June 1804 – 1868) was an [Anglo-Irish](/source/Anglo-Irish) politician, lawyer and judge, the first Roman Catholic judge to sit in [England and Wales](/source/England_and_Wales) since the [Reformation](/source/English_Reformation).

==Early life and legal career==
Shee was born in [Finchley](/source/Finchley), [Middlesex](/source/Middlesex). His father, Joseph, was a [merchant](/source/merchant) from [Thomastown](/source/Thomastown%2C_County_Kilkenny), [County Kilkenny](/source/County_Kilkenny), Ireland, his mother, Teresa ''née'' Darell. [Nicholas Wiseman](/source/Nicholas_Wiseman) was a cousin. He was initially educated at the school for French refugees founded by the [Abbé Carron](/source/Abb%C3%A9_Carron) in [Somers Town](/source/Somers_Town%2C_London) and where [Hughes Felicité Robert de Lamennais](/source/Hughes_Felicit%C3%A9_Robert_de_Lamennais) taught. In 1818 he joined Wiseman as a student at [St. Cuthbert's College, Ushaw](/source/Ushaw_College). He also attended [Edinburgh University](/source/Edinburgh_University) where he joined [The Speculative Society](/source/The_Speculative_Society). In 1823 he became a [pupil](/source/pupillage) of [Thomas Chitty](/source/Thomas_Chitty_(lawyer)) at [Lincoln's Inn](/source/Lincoln's_Inn) and was [called to the bar](/source/called_to_the_bar) in 1828.<ref name="ODNB">Barker (2004)</ref>

Shee enjoyed a successful career as a [barrister](/source/barrister), being made [serjeant-at-law](/source/serjeant-at-law) in 1840, receiving a [patent of precedence](/source/patent_of_precedence) in 1845, and being appointed [queen's serjeant](/source/serjeant-at-law) in 1857. In 1837, he married Mary Gordon (died 1861) and their children included [George Darell Shee](/source/George_Darell_Shee) and Henry Gordon Shee [QC](/source/Queen's_Counsel) who became [Recorder](/source/Recorder_(judge)) of [Burnley](/source/Burnley) and a judge in [Salford](/source/County_Borough_of_Salford).<ref name="ODNB"/>

Shee's famous cases as an advocate included the [Roupell case](/source/Roupell_case) and leading the unsuccessful defence of [poison](/source/poison)er [William Palmer](/source/William_Palmer_(murderer)) in 1856.<ref name="ODNB"/> In the latter case the defence case suffered adverse comment from the judge because Shee had, against all rules and conventions of professional conduct, told the [jury](/source/jury) that he personally believed Palmer to be innocent.<ref>Knott (1912) ''p.''267</ref> He edited a great number of legal publications.<ref name="ODNB"/>

==Politics==
:''See also [Roman Catholicism in Great Britain:The Catholic Revival in the Nineteenth Century](/source/Roman_Catholicism_in_Great_Britain)''.

Shee was a champion of [Catholic Emancipation](/source/Catholic_Emancipation) and addressed a protestant rally held on [Penenden Heath](/source/Penenden_Heath), [Maidstone](/source/Maidstone) as early as 24 November 1828. He failed in his first attempt to enter [parliament](/source/Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom) at the [1847 general election](/source/1847_United_Kingdom_general_election) for [Marylebone](/source/Marylebone_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) but succeeded for [Kilkenny County](/source/County_Kilkenny_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) in the [1852 general election](/source/1852_United_Kingdom_general_election).<ref name="ODNB"/>

He gave his [maiden speech](/source/maiden_speech) on 12 November 1852 during the debate on the [Queen's Speech](/source/Queen's_Speech).<ref>[Hansard](/source/Hansard) 3, 123, 1852, 139–41</ref> Shee became active in [Irish tenants' rights](/source/History_of_Ireland_(1801%E2%80%931922)). [William Sharman Crawford](/source/William_Sharman_Crawford) having failed to be re-elected in 1852, Shee took charge of, and reintroduced, his Tenant Right Bill on 25 November 1852. In December, he spoke in support of Sir [Joseph Napier](/source/Sir_Joseph_Napier%2C_1st_Baronet)'s Improvement Compensation Bill but both bills were rejected by a [select committee](/source/Select_committee_(United_Kingdom)). Shee submitted an amended bill in February 1854 but it fared poorly.<ref name="ODNB"/>

In June 1854 he failed in a controversial motion for leave to introduce a bill to amend the laws on the political administration of the [Church of Ireland](/source/Church_of_Ireland), and to increase funds for Irish religious education and church building. In 1855, discouraged in his exertions as to reform, Shee consulted with Sharman Crawford and drafted a new Tenants' Improvement Compensation Bill, addressing some of the objections of the select committee. It fared no better than his earlier efforts. Shee's failure cost him the support of his voters and he lost his seat in the [1857 general election](/source/1857_United_Kingdom_general_election).<ref name="ODNB"/>

Shee was defeated in Kilkenny again in [1859 general election](/source/1859_United_Kingdom_general_election) and declined judicial office in [Madras](/source/Madras) in 1860. He stood unsuccessfully in Stoke-on-Trent at a [by-election](/source/by-election) in September 1862.<ref name="ODNB"/>

==Judge==
{{Infobox coat of arms
|image = Sir William Shee Escutcheon.png
|shield = Per bend indented Azure and Or two fleurs-de-lis counterchanged.
|crest = A swan rising Sable.<ref>{{cite book|title=Debrett's Illustrated House of Commons and Judicial Bench}}</ref>}}
On 19 December 1863, Shee was appointed judge of the [Queen's Bench](/source/Court_of_King's_Bench_(England)), and [knight](/source/knight)ed the following year.<ref>''[London Gazette](/source/London_Gazette)'', 22 Dec 1863, 6645; ''London Gazette'', 14 June 1864, 3072</ref> He was the first Roman Catholic judge in England since the [Glorious Revolution of 1688](/source/Glorious_Revolution_of_1688). Shee died from [apoplexy](/source/apoplexy) at his home in London.<ref name="ODNB"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*Barker, G. F. R. (2004) "[http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/25285 Shee, Sir William (1804–1868)]", rev. Hugh Mooney, ''[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography](/source/Oxford_Dictionary_of_National_Biography)'', Oxford University Press, accessed 24 July 2007 {{ODNBsub}}
*{{cite book | author=Knott, G. H. | title=The Trial of William Palmer | year=1912 | edition=Notable English Trials | location=Edinburgh | publisher=William Hodge & Co. }} {{DNBfirst|wstitle=Shee, William}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
    {{s-bef|before=[Pierce Somerset Butler](/source/Pierce_Somerset_Butler) <br /> [John Greene](/source/John_Greene_(MP)) }}
    {{s-ttl|title=[Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)) for [County Kilkenny](/source/County_Kilkenny_(UK_Parliament_constituency))
           |with = [John Greene](/source/John_Greene_(MP))
           | years=[1852](/source/1852_United_Kingdom_general_election) – [1857](/source/1857_United_Kingdom_general_election) }}
    {{s-aft|after=[Leopold Agar-Ellis](/source/Leopold_Agar-Ellis%2C_5th_Viscount_Clifden) <br /> [John Greene](/source/John_Greene_(MP))}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shee, William}}
Category:1804 births
Category:1868 deaths
Category:Justices of the King's Bench
Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for County Kilkenny constituencies (1801–1922)
Category:Serjeants-at-law (England)
Category:UK MPs 1852–1857
Category:People from Finchley
Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Category:Alumni of Ushaw College
Category:Politicians from the London Borough of Barnet

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [William Shee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shee) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shee?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.